Jeffrey David Stansberry (Photo courtesy of Searcy County Sheriff’s Office)
A date has been set for the arraignment of an area man accused of murdering his wife and then dismembering her body this summer. Being held in the Searcy County Jail on two felony charges is 75-year-old Jeffrey David Stansbery of St. Joe. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 13 in Searcy County Circuit Court. The victim in the case is identified as Amanda Stansbery, who was 43-years-old.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by officials from Cox Medical Center in Branson on Sept. 5 after Stansbery went there for treatment and made statements about harming a female. Searcy County law enforcement contacted the Branson Police Department and requested they go to the hospital to speak with Stansbery.
After the interview, it was learned Stansbery had possibly harmed a female, so Searcy County investigators went to the Stansbery residence in St. Joe. They began doing a search for the victim, during which it was learned the victim was possibly deceased and concealed at the residence.
A search warrant was obtained, and the sheriff’s office, along with the Arkansas State Police, began processing the residence as a crime scene.
They eventually found the victim’s dismembered body in the rear compartment of a vehicle. The body parts had been put into heavy duty plastic bags and taped up to avoid detection and sealed in the vehicle.
During a post Miranda interview, Stansbery admitted to law enforcement he killed his wife. Law enforcement also has obtained video and photographic evidence of what appears to be Stansbery killing his wife. The affidavit says the crime happened between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5.
Stansbery is facing felony counts of capital murder and abuse of a corpse. He is being held in the Searcy County Jail without bond.
He was originally held in the Taney County Jail after being released from the hospital in Branson and was transferred to the Searcy County Jail Nov. 19.
An article in the Harrison Daily Times last month said Stansbery was found legally competent to face the charges. There has been no mental evaluation done on Stansbery in Arkansas. There was one done in Missouri, but that was conducted to see if he was competent to proceed with the Governor’s warrant and extradition back to Arkansas and has nothing to do with the charges against him in Arkansas.
Stansbery also has a previous arrest out of Texas for assaulting his previous wife. He was arrested in 1999 on a charge of aggravated assault that causes serious bodily injury. He was convicted on that charge and served 17 years in prison.
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